Commission OKs expanded use for Barron Collier's North Naples property

Naples Community Hospital's North Naples building is across from the project site. Tristan Spinski/Staff

David Albers/Staff
- Lee Memorial Health System recently doubled the size of their Naples Pediatric Specialty Clinic at 1265 Creekside Parkway in North Naples.

NORTH NAPLES - Naples-area developer Barron Collier Cos. can build a hotel or senior living center in Creekside Commerce Park in North Naples after gaining approval Tuesday from the Collier County Commission for additional land uses.

Commissioners voted 5-0 for the additional development options.

To appease concerns from residents of the nearby Collier’s Reserve subdivision, the developer agreed to a 75-foot building setback from Goodlette-Frank Road for what gets built on the 22-acre vacant parcel on the east side of Goodlette-Frank Road. Collier’s Reserve residents hired local land-use attorney Patrick White to represent their concerns to the developer.

Creekside Commerce park is on the south side of Immokalee Road. The largest chunk of vacant land in the park is on the east side of Goodlette-Frank Road. That’s where Barron Collier Cos. sought additional land uses of a hotel, an assisted living center and intermediate care center as three options for development.

If a hotel is built, its maximum building height on the Goodlette-Frank side would be 85 feet, said Rich Yovanovich, a land-use attorney for Barron Collier.

The developer also agreed to limit the number of potential hotel rooms to a maximum of 180 rooms, not the 240-room maximum sought in the original plan amendment submitted to the county, Yovanovich told commissioners Tuesday.

From Immokalee Road, the hotel must be set back 500 feet and cannot exceed 50 feet in height.

Barron Collier scaled back what it originally sought in amendment proposals to allay concerns from Collier’s Reserve residents, who said in a document to county planners in January that the area is characterized by a suburban development pattern with buildings of one to three stories in height.

Commission Chairwoman Georgia Hiller on Tuesday commended both sides for working out their differences and reaching a compromise.

“What a great job all of the parties have done,” she said. “Congratulations, you did great.”

Hiller added that what Barron Collier Cos. agreed to was more restrictive than what the Collier County Planning Commission recommended in January.

The planning board had recommended a 50-foot setback from Goodlette-Frank Road for the hotel.

If a senior living center is developed, the maximum number of beds would be 400 combined for an intermediate care center and senior housing, Yovanovich said.